Question

many chemical reactions release energy. suppose that at the beginning of a reaction, an electron and proton are separated by 0.120 nm , and their final separation is 0.102 nm .

Answer 1

Chemical reactions release energy by converting the potential energy stored in chemical bonds into other forms of energy, while nuclear reactions release much more energy by converting matter into energy. The energy released in nuclear reactions is approximately one million times greater per atom than in chemical reactions. Therefore, the change in separation between an electron and a proton does not directly determine the amount of energy released in a chemical reaction.

Step-by-step explanation:

Chemical reactions release energy by converting the potential energy stored in chemical bonds into other forms of energy. On the other hand, nuclear reactions release much more energy by converting a small amount of matter into energy through the process of mass-energy equivalence, as described by Einstein's equation (E=mc²). The energy released in nuclear reactions is approximately one million times greater per atom than the energy released in chemical reactions.

In the context of your question, the change in separation between an electron and a proton in a chemical reaction does not directly determine the amount of energy released. The energy released in a chemical reaction is determined by the difference in chemical bond energy between the reactants and products.